Peter Anthony Released On Police Bail After Last Night’s Arrest For Tenom Riot
Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat president Peter Anthony will file an appeal with the High Court to get a decision on his eligibility to contest for the seat.
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Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) president Peter Anthony was arrested last night to assist in an investigation regarding a riot that broke out outside the Tenom nomination centre yesterday (5 November).
READ MORE: Cops Spray Tear Gas In Tenom After A Candidate’s Nomination Was Rejected
Anthony was detained around midnight at the Karamunsing police station after a police report was lodged and was released on police bail this morning (6 November).
Free Malaysia Today reported that the case is being investigated under Section 24A (2) of the Election Act 1954 which prohibits the public from waiting or being within 50m of the perimeters of a nomination centre.
It’s also being investigated under Section 147 of the Penal Code for rioting.
Yesterday, Sabah police commissioner Idris Abdullah said around 300 of Anthony’s supporters tried to storm the nomination centre after election officials rejected Anthony’s nomination papers due to his unresolved court case.
The viral videos also showed the Light Strike Force personnel firing tear gas into the crowd to break up the riot.
Anthony, the former Sabah infrastructure development minister, was sentenced to three years in jail after being found guilty of falsifying a letter from the office of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) deputy vice-chancellor for system maintenance contract work.
He was slapped with a three-year jail term and a fine of RM50,000.
The Election Commission (EC) stated that individuals who have been convicted of an offence and sentenced to a jail term of more than one year, fined more than RM2,000, and yet to be pardoned are ineligible to contest in state and parliamentary elections
The Star reported that Anthony lodged a police report over the rejection of his nomination papers and told reporters he wasn’t aware why the EC pulled his nomination papers despite approving his candidacy earlier.
He will be filing an appeal with the High Court on Monday (7 November) to get a decision on whether he’s eligible to contest.
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